Database design and development for eCommerce sites and content management systems

For an eCommerce site, a database is essential. It will store your product inventory, product details and pricing, help you track both on and offline orders, manage customers and store billing and shipping information and order details.

At Rahvalor Interactive, we specialize in advanced database design and development to accommodate even the most intensive eCommerce or content management needs. In the simplest scenario, we can develop a database to house a product name, photo, description and price. This type of database is sufficient if your products are offered as-is, such as a white pearl necklace, a six inch dog bone or a plush stuffed camel.

In a more complicated scenario, we can design a database to accommodate multiple product and pricing options. Perhaps you sell sofas, which are available in four types of fabric, each with a different price, with or without a stain-guard option, or as part of a sofa-and-chair set with an entirely different pricing structure per set.

Wondering what a database can do for your business? Contact us to learn how we can plan and develop a customized, flexible database for your internal or eCommerce needs.

A database is the fundamental tool that will make your eCommerce site "work", from organizing products into categories and subcategories that are displayed to visitors, to storing business rules for shipping charges, discounts or gift certificates, maintaining customer and order details and housing your product inventory. The databases we design are always built with scalability in mind. That means that if your business needs change over time, your database can change to accommodate those needs without requiring an entire "rebuild".

If you want to manage other web site content in-house, such as news articles, events or photos, a database will provide the "back end" of a content management system that allows you to manage dynamic web pages and update them in real time.

For those who may already have an internal inventory or order management system, we can work with your existing database to integrate it with your web site for streamlined business operations. We can even help you sort through the bugs in your existing database and make custom software work even better.

Web form programming and data collection

As part of your web site development project, we can include programming for any web based form that your business may need. Types of forms can include:

• Basic contact forms
• Order forms
• Quote requests
• Service or support requests
• Surveys or data collection forms
• Referrals or "e-mail a friend" forms

These forms can be secured or unsecured, single or multi-stepped, and information that your site visitors provide can be collected and stored in your database for easy search and retrieval.

Web site search and reporting functionality

A database provides another valuable opportunity: the ability to implement search and reporting features. Search is a valuable tool for both your site visitors and your staff. For site visitors, it can allow them to search your product inventory for a specific item. Searches can be as simple or advanced as necessary. You may need a simple keyword search, or an advanced search by category, price, availability, manufacturer, product number or any combination of those. We can also build in recognition of common misspellings, so that much like Google's "did you mean..." feature, you can be sure to capture even those customers who make typos.

A search feature can also be a valuable resource for your staff. Search your own product inventory by name, number or any defined criteria, or search and find specific customer orders, names or order amounts. In fact, all you have to do is tell us what you want to be able to search for and how you want to find it, and we'll build the function to do it.

You can also generate reports based on your search. This can be a great marketing tool for your organization. You are limited only by your ability to dream up reports that you'd like to see. Here are just a few ideas:

• Track your best customers. Generate a report of those who have purchased a specific dollar amount or within a range.
• Analyze the effectiveness of a marketing campaign. Find out how many visitors made a purchase using a specific discount code that you've distributed in a direct marketing piece.
• Take stock of inventory. See how many red widgets you have left.
• Monitor customer service. Check the response time of your staff to orders or quote and service requests.

The bottom line: you want it all, every bell and whistle, and a couple of trumpets, too - is it going to hurt?

Every improvement you make is an investment in the success of your business. Whether you install new carpets or a new database, it requires thought and planning.

Which shade of blue is best for your entryway?
Do you want to collect customer e-mails?

You can consult your interior designer for the first, but when it comes to database design and development we're the experts who can help you plan, establish goals and expectations, figure out which features can benefit your organization and develop a database to do everything but the dishes.

All our projects are 100% custom, and often database development goes hand in hand with web site design and development. To best determine your needs and to establish a cost, we need to clearly define the complexity and functionality of your database and other web needs.

Struggling along with a ton of paperwork? Contact us and we'll help get you organized online with a database designed to accommodate all of your business needs.

For new customers or existing customers with a new project, take advantage of a free initial consultation and no-obligation project planning for custom database design and development.